Christine O., Author at Adult Children of Alcoholics & Dysfunctional Families

Inner Critic

by Christine O. | Aug 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery

I hear her voice in my head: “God forbid a stranger should find fault with you.” Such an event would of course embarrass the whole family. I wonder how many generations have heard this — I had heard two — then repeated it when they became parents. “God forbid that a...

Pomegranate Trees

by Christine O. | Jul 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery

The trees had been described as “deer resistant”, language that is ambiguous because it depends on how hungry the deer are. The family of three that felt comfortable in my backyard were really hungry. I had bought the pomegranate trees as memorials for my daughter,...

Childhood Prayer

by Christine O. | Jul 1, 2023 | ComLine, Voices of Recovery

It was a bold experiment in my mind, perhaps an early inquiry into the workings of reality. Prayer mingled God with Santa Claus: if I prayed hard enough, I would get a beautiful dollhouse in my room. I cleared a space for it between my bed and the door. I was six or...

A PANTOUM ON THE ADRENALS

by Christine O. | Mar 15, 2023 | ACA And The Arts

Freeze - All attention must be on the current crisis.Freeze - I spend most of my day waiting for a crisis. Freeze - All resources must be ready to be deployed in the crisis.Freeze - All resources on constant standby.Freeze - I spend most of my day waiting for a...